Shreveport Classic To Begin Tomorrow
The pros are ready, the media set, and the fans are chomping at the bit to see the Bassmaster Classic for 2012 get underway. The venue is the Red River which separates Shreveport and Bossier City, Louisiana, and it is running cold and muddy. From heavy rains a week ago to a warmer-than-usual air temperatures the last couple of days, many of the top professionals believe the fish may begin to play hard to get. “This tournament will be won between the ears,” says Randy Howell, the Springville, Alabama pro who will be fishing his 10th Bassmaster Classic. “The water is so muddy that guys may pass right by the fish just trying move around looking for bites. Someone will figure out that the fish aren’t necessarily backing off their plans to get ready to spawn, but are laying low waiting for the water to warm back up after the wind storms and cold fronts push through.
Most anglers in this year’s event are focusing on “power fishing” baits. Although many have their own secret colors, shapes, or sizes, flipping and pitching “creature baits” as well as using spinnerbaits and even small crankbaits seem to be the approaches of choice in the shallow off-colored water.
I will be paired with Ish Monroe, a California native and good friend who was seriously disappointed that he drew me for the first day of competition. “Man what a deal,” said Monroe after hearing the news. “The one time I was hoping to draw a guy who is a tiny and skinny, I get you Don (all 6-foot 4-inches and 230 pounds).” Monroe is fishing in a very shallow backwater section just off the main channel of the Red River and has to pass through an area less than a foot deep in order to access his fish. He says he has found some good fish but is very uncertain that he can even find them. “I actually put a different set of batteries in my boat just to lighten it up so I could get all the way back to my fish … but yesterday I really had to struggle to get close.”
We’ll see tomorrow if conditions will allow Monroe to get into his fish.
Some anglers may try to make long runs either north or south to get away from the rest of the field and have the opportunity to target less pressured fish. “If some of the anglers run a long way,” says Davy Hite, “they will be trying to avoid other anglers but risk not having a lot of time to put fish in the boat. If you travel far enough to have to pass through some locks, you will be robbed of precious fishing time when you arrive at your destination. So, with a short fishing window if the fish aren’t ready to bite you may simply run out of time. This the risk guys have to take when fishing an event like the Classic.”
The 2009 Bassmaster Classic was held in the same venue and anglers that fished that event see some similarities and some stark differences when comparing the two years. “One of my best areas in ’09,” said Aaron Martens, I had to fight the shallow water to get back to the fish. But, now, I can go in the area on plane, and what’s more, you can fish all day long in that area and only weigh 10 pounds of bass.”
Estimates are that 55 pounds of bass will win the 2012 Classic. That equates to roughly 17 to 18 pounds a day. With changing weather conditions that are expected to drop air temperatures by as much as 20 degrees over the next 24 hours, and wind which has been gusting to 25 miles per hour all day today, the pros, the media, and the fans, can’t wait to see who will figure out the fish , catch 15 of them over the three-day event and become the 2012 winner of Bassmaster Classic walking away with a cool $500,000 dollars.
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